Friday, June 06, 2008

Welcome To The O'Daley Machine


Gabe Malor, over at target=_blank>Ace of Spades, notices Obama is using the same "he's not the
man I once knew" line that he used with Jeremiah Wright.

Obama has returned href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/766605,CST-NWS-obama30.article"
target=_blank>$157,835
in campaign funds that Tony Rezko and his associates
donated in his career.

But will he return the land that he bought from Rezko?

I can hear it now. "But Jim, this isn't a donation from Rezko to Obama,"
because the senator bought the land for a lot href="http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/South.Side.Tony.2.333263.html"
target=_blank>more than it was worth
—  "an appraiser valued the slice
of land Rezko sold at $40,500, Obama decided it would be fair to pay Rezko
substantially more: one sixth of his original purchase price, or $104,000."

Precisely. Rezko "href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/766605,CST-NWS-obama30.article"
target=_blank>widely known to be under federal investigation at the time
."
Paying substantially more than the land was appraised creates the appearance of
a $64,000 payment to a person who, if found guilty, could discuss his longtime
association and business dealings with a U.S. senator with federal law
enforcement.

Hiding in plain sight.